Revitalize Creativity: Taking a Break from Writing Groups & Writing

Writing can be an emotional and draining process. Continuous engagement can lead to burnout, making breaks essential for sustaining a long-term writing practice.

Stepping away from your keyboard, notebook or writing circle allows for mental rejuvenation and leads to a richer creative process.

But that doesn't mean it's easy! Truth be told, I feel uncomfortable about leaving a project untouched for days or disengaging from a group of writing buddies for a week or two. I feel guilty about not doing the work or like I'm missing out on something.

That's why I thought it would be useful to talk about writing breaks before the U.S. holiday weekend. Let’s briefly explore why breaks are essential and how they can reignite your inspiration and spark your creativity. Then, I'll recommend three other blog posts that provide excellent information about taking writing breaks.

The Science Behind Taking a Break

A variety of studies show that taking breaks can significantly boost productivity and creativity. (Research, showing benefits from short term breaks as well as longer-period breaks, comes from several sources, including the American Psychological Association and National Institute of Health.)

Why? Our brains aren't built to sustain focus on a single task indefinitely. By introducing periods of rest, we enable the subconscious to link ideas that may have previously seemed unrelated.

Applying this concept to writing, you can see how important taking a break is! A break can make all the difference in coming up with that creative plot twist or diving deep into a character's heartbreak or triumph or finding the right language to connect with your readers.

What a Writing Break Looks Like

Periods of rest can look like short five-minute pauses while you're drafting your manuscript, or extended vacations on the beach, away from meetings, laptops and notebooks. You need to explore what works best for you, but no matter what type of break you choose, you can be confident that it will help you make progress in your work. You'll recharge your mental batteries and enable fresh connections.

On the other hand, pushing through writing and writing-related work when very little energy is left in the tank will have the opposite effect. You can almost guarantee writers block, low quality work, physical illness, and even strained relationships with other writers.

Taking a break recharges our creative batteries.

More About the Value of Writing Breaks

To deepen your understanding, I've found three useful posts about writing breaks:

In Favor of Imitating Slugs

This "Beyond Writing Blog" post is designed to help you ease back on the writing throttle, practice some self-kindness, and really enjoy your vacation.

Should You Take a Break from Writing? 5 Red Flags

Start with a self-check. This "Helping Writers Become Authors" post explores the tell-tale signs that you should pay attention to.

3 Reasons You Should Take a Break From Your Writing

From "The Write Practice", this post encourages you to plan time off and walks you through the rationale for enjoying your holiday.

How I'm Embracing the Power of a Writing Pause

I'm going to enjoy this holiday weekend and take a break, too! When I return, I'll share with you any lessons learned.

In the meantime, are you planning to take some time off from your writing practice? What do you like to do? Let me know in the comments!